Tensionless liquid treating apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING A RUNNING LENGTH OF TEXTILE WEB MATERIAL WITH A FLUID WHEREIN THE TEXTILE WEB MATERIAL IS TRANSPORTED THROUGH A FLUID TREATING ZONE WITHOUT ANY APPRECIABLE TENSIONAL FORCES BEING IMPOSED THEREON AND WHILE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY TENSION-FREE STATE BY OVERFEEDING THE TEXTILE WEB MATERIAL ONTO A HORIZONTALLY MOVING SUPPORTING SURFACE, ADVANCING THE TEXTILE WEB MATERIAL THROUGH THE TREATMENT ZONE WHILE SPRAYING OPPOSITE FACES OF THE WEB MATERIAL WITH TREATMENT FLUID AND WHILE CAUSING THE WEB MATERIAL TO FOLLOW AN UNDULATING PATH OF TRAVEL WITH ANY GIVEN PORTION THEREOF ONLY INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGING THE SUPPORTING SURFACE.

MG 25, 1971 w 5 3,579,679

TENSIONLESS LIQUID TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Dec. 10. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DA\ \b M. W\ LLIS "MM, J15, M 94% A'ITORNIZY5 May 25, 1971 M w 5 3,579,679

TEN5IONLE5S LIQUID TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Dec. 10, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 2O '4' l 12A; I l2 s;

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ATTORNEYS D. M. WILLIS May 25, 1971 TENSIONLESS LIQUID TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Dec. 10. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I {STEAM SOURCE- /NVEN7'0E- bAWb M. WILL\$ BY fall, J15, $015M ATTORNEY-S United States Patent 3,579,679 TENSIONLESS LIQUID TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD David M. Willis, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Jonathan Logan Inc., New York, N.Y.

Filed Dec. 10, 1968, Ser. No. 782,587 Int. Cl. Bc 5/00 US. Cl. 8-151 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of and apparatus for treating a running length of textile web material with a fluid wherein the textile web material is transported through a fluid treating zone without any appreciable tensional forces being imposed thereon and while in a substantially tension-free state by overfeeding the textile web material onto a horizontally moving supporting surface, advancing the textile web material through the treatment zone while spraying opposite faces of the Web material with treatment fluid and while causing the web material to follow an undulating path of travel with any given portion thereof only intermittently engaging the supporting surface.

In the finishing of web materials and particularly certain types of fabrics, it is normal practice to subject such fabrics to a fluid treatment, such as scouring and water washing processes and/ or dry cleaning processes wherein an organic solvent is applied to remove grease or the like from the fabric, and a drying process wherein liquids remaining in the fabric are removed therefrom. It is well known that during such finishing processes, most textile fabrics shrink as a result of many factors including the relaxation of tension imposed on the fabric during the manufacturing operation.

Conventional fluid treatment processes and particularly those which fluid treat the textile fabric in an openwidth condition almost universally apply undesirable tensional forces to the textile fabric during the fluid treatment. These tensional forces are undesirable because they frequently stretch the fabric or at least substantially reduce the ability of the fabric to shrink during fluid treatment and thereby increase the likelihood that the fabric will shrink at some later time, as when a garment or other article made from the fabric is laundered or drycleaned. Such residual shrinkage has been a particularly acute problem with fabrics having high stretchability when wet, such as knit fabrics.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of and apparatus for fluid treating textile fabric wherein a substantially continuous or very long running length of textile fabric is subjected to fluid treatment while in a substantially tension-free condition and wherein the textile fabric is maintained in a substantially tensionless state throughout the fluid treatment so that no appreciable tensional forces are applied thereto during fluid treatment so the textile fabric is not stretched and may freely shrink.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for fluid treating a textile fabric wherein the fabric is passed through a fluid treating zone by a foraminous supporting surface in a substantially undulating path of travel while both faces of the fabric are being sprayed with fluid and wherein the fabric is maintained in a substantially tensionless state and with any given portion thereof only intermittently engaging the supporting surface whereby shrinkage of the fabric is not retarded and no appreciable tensional forces are ap plied thereto during the fluid treatment.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated, other will appear as the description bee proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a first form of apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, of a second form of apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the apparatus of FIG. 1, taken similarly to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 taken similarly to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view, partly broken away and in section, of the first form of apparatus in accordance with the present invention, taken generally as indicated by the line 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic elevation view, in section, through the apparatus of FIG. 5, taken generally as indicated by the line 6-6 in that figure; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail of a spray nozzle as incorporated in the apparatus of FIGS. 5 and 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be noted that a first form of apparatu in accordance with the present invention has been shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 through 7, while a second form of apparatus in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The following discussion will proceed first with reference to the apparatus of FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 through 7, with the distinctions of the apparatus 20 of FIGS. 2 and 4 being pointed out thereafter.

The first form of apparatus, generally indicated at 10, for fluid treating a running length of flexible web material in a substantially tension-free condition comprises a housing 11, including a pivotally mounted door member 12 closing the upper side of the housing 11 and providing for access into the interior of the housing when desired. The housing 11 encloses a fluid treatment zone, as pointed out more fully hereinafter, through which flexible web material such as textile fabric F (FIGS. 1 and 3) is advanced and in which the textile fabric is subjected to fluid treatment. In order to permit the introduction and removal of the textile web material F into and from the interior of the casing or housing 11, slot openings 14 and 15 are provided therein to serve respectively as an entrance and an exit for the material F.

Web material handling means are provided to advance web material such as the material F to and into the apparatus 10, and include a pair of overfeeding rollers 17 and 18 supported by standards 19 and 20 rising at the entrance side of the casing 11. The overfeeding rollers 17 and 18 are driven in rotation at a speed and in a manner discussed more fully hereinafter, to pass web material therebetween and downwardly through the entrance slot 14 into the interior of the casing 11.

Textile material F passing into the interior of the casing 11 is received and transported through the fluid treatment zone contained within the casing 11 by web material transporting means including a driven, horizontally movable, foraminous supporting surface preferably defined by at least one endless belt member 21 (FIGS. 3 and 5). The endless belt member 21 is supported for movement along a predetermined closed path of travel by a pair of rollers 22 and 23 mounted within the casing 11 for rotation about parallel, spaced apart, horizontally extending axes. Inasmuch as the endless belt member 21 passes about both of the rollers 22 and 23, the belt member 21 is guided thereby for movement in a horizontal direction through a fluid treatment zone as pointed out more fully hereinafter.

Preferably, the material from which the belt 21 is formed is both flexible and foraminous or perforate, as by being a woven Wire screening or the like. Being flexible in nature, the belt member 21 is supported in its travel by a plurality of secondary supporting rollers 25,

26 and 27 spaced within the closed path of travel defined by the belt 21 as the same encircles the principal supporting rollers 22 and 23. Preferably, two of the secondary support rollers 25 and 27 serve to insure that the upper reach of the closed path of travel of the belt member 21 defines a horizontally moving foraminous supporting surface. By appropriate drive means, described more fully hereinafter, the belt 21 is driven at a predetermined rate less than and correlated to the linear surface speed of the overfeeding rollers 17 and 18, so as to receive the material F in a loose, substantially tension-free state.

In order to subject the material F to a fluid treatment upon passage thereof through the volume enclosed by the casing 11, while maintaining the fabric in a substantially tension-free state, treating means are provided including a plurality of fluid spray nozzles 30, mounted upon spray header pipes 31 and supplied therethrough with fluid under pressure. The spray patterns of the nozzles 30 are directed by slot formed orifices 32 therein (FIG. 7), releasing fluid in a fan-shaped spray. Each of the nozzles 30 is mounted in an associated header pipe 31 for rotational adjustment relative thereto (as indicated by the double-headed arrows on the nozzle 30 in FIG. 7) thus permitting adjustment of the fan angle of fluid directed by the Orifice 32 relative to the header pipe 31, or aiming of each nozzle relative to others in each group. Additionally, each of the header pipes 31 is supported in the casing 11 of the apparatus for at least limited rotation (as indicated by the double-headed arrow on the pipe 31 in FIG. 7) thereby permitting collective aiming of the spray patterns of each group of nozzles 30 relative to the sprays of the other groups.

The header pipes and nozzles are divided into first and second banks, positioned on opposite sides of the foraminous supporting surface defined by the upper horizontal reach of the path of travel of the belt 21. As so arranged, the first bank of spray nozzles 30 are positioned above the foraminous supporting surface defined by the belt 21, and are positioned to direct flowing streams of treatment fluid downwardly onto the upper face of the fabric F passing thereover. The second bank of spray nozzles 30 are mounted below the supporting surface defined by the belt 21 and positioned to direct flowing streams of fluid upwardly through the foraminous surface for impingement on the lower face of the fabric F moving thereover.

In order to subject the web material to fluid treatment while in a substantially tensionless condition, and in accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the flowing streams of fluid impinged on the upper and lower faces of the web material F are so balanced that the material F is buoyed thereby and floats above the supporting surface 21 without the imposition of any appreciable tensional force thereon. The force of impingement of fluid against the lower face of the material is at least suflicient to balance the downward forces of gravity and of fluid impinging on the upper face, to prevent matting of the material against the supporting surface. With the material F floating in this manner, the engagement between the moving supporting surface provided by the belt 21 and the web material is only that suflicient to transport the material F through the fluid treatment zone wherein the flowing streams of fluid impinge thereon. As to any given incremental length portion of the running length of material F, the engagement with the supporting surface is intermittent rather than continuous and, upon such intermittent engagement, the engagement is only transient in nature. Preferably, treatment fluid is sprayed against the lower face of the material with suflicient force to move localized areas thereof out of engagement with the supporting surface and to cause the material to follow an undulating path of travel through the treatment zone.

In order to provide flowing streams of fluid under pressure to the first and second banks of nozzles 30, the

header pipes 31 are operatively connected to a pumping system for circulating a treatment fluid, such as a liquid. In the instance of a liquid, liquid sprayed against the material F through the nozzles 30 drains to the lower portion of the housing 11, and is pumped from the housing 11 through a drain conduit 38 by a drain pump 39. The drain pump 39 delivers liquid to a surge tank 40, provided in order to insure an adequate supply of treatment to a spray pump 41. It is to be understood that the drain pump 39 and the spray pump 41 are powered in any appropriate manner, such as by independent electrical motors, and that additional appropriate accessory items may be interposed in the flow conduit 42 between the drain pump 39 and the surge tank 40 if desired. In particular, a filter may be interposed in the conduit 42 should it be considered appropriate to filter the treatment fluid before the same is impinged upon the material F. The spray pump 41 delivers treatment fluid under pressure to a main header pipe 44 (FIG. 6) from which liquid is distributed to the header pipes 31 for discharge through the nozzles 30. It is contemplated that pressure control valves 45 and 46 may be interposed between the main fluid distribution header 44 and the header pipes 31 to provide control over the force with which fluid impinges upon the upper and lower faces of the material F.

In order to heat treatment liquid employed in treatment of the material F, it is contemplated that heating coils 48 will be mounted within the casing 11 below the level of treatment liquid retained therein as a reservoir. The heating coils may be formed in any appropriate manner, such as by being fabricated from suitable pipe, and are supplied with a heating media from an appropriate source. In the schematically illustrated embodiment, the heating media provided is steam from a suitable steam source such as a boiler.

After passage of the web material through the fluid treatment zone defined by the opposed first and second banks of spray nozzles 30, the material is removed from the supporting surface defined by the belt 21 through the exit slot 15 by the provision of a set of lift-off rollers 34, 35, and 36. In similarity to the overfeeding rollers 17 and 18, the lift-off rollers 34, 35 and 36 are supported by appropriate standard means rising adjacent the casing 11. Upon leaving the apparatus 10, the fabric may be advanced to any subsequent processing step.

As discussed above, the engagement of any incremental length portion of the running length of material F with the supporting surface is intermittent rather than continuous and, upon such intermittent engagement, the engagement is only transient in nature. This important feature of the present invention is accomplished in part by overfeeding the web material onto the supporting surface provided by the foraminous belt 21 with a linear speed relation which is at least suflicient to accommodate any shrinkage occurring upon subjection of the web material to the fluid treatment.

That is, the linear rate of speed at which material F is advanced by the overfeeding rollers 17 and 18 is greater than the linear rate of speed of the belt 21. In order to provide such properly coordinated drive for the overfeeding rollers 17 and 18, the web material transport means including the belt 21, and the lift-ofi rollers v34, 35 and 36, it is contemplated that drive for the rotating elements of the apparatus 10 may be derived from a common motive power source, such as an electric motor 50 (FIG. 1). Rotational motive force originating with the motor 50 is transmitted to and applied to the various rotating elements through a drive train arrangement operatively connecting the rotating elements together.

In the illustrated embodiment, the drive train arrangement includes a plurality of endless flexible members 51, 52, 53 and 54 each supported for movement along a predetermined closed path of travel and each providing an operative interconnection between or among two or more sprocket members. Interposed in the drive train thus provided by the endless flexible members or chains are a plurality of adjustable transmission means 56, 57 and 58. By means of the variable transmissions, the linear speed ratios of the various rotating elements of the apparatus may be adjusted in any desired manner. Preferably, the rate of overfeed of material F from the overfeeding rollers 17 and 18 onto the moving supporting surface provided by the foraminous belt 21 is at least suflicient to accommodate the highest shrinkage anticipated for the fabric being processed, and is obtained by driving the overfeeding rollers 17 and 18 at a higher linear surface speed than that at which the surface of the belt 21 is moving.

In instances where the time required to complete fluid treatment of a given material F may not be readily accommodated in an apparatus 10 as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7, it is contemplated by the present invention that an extended dwell time may be obtained through the use of a second form of the apparatus of the present invention, generally indicated at 20 and shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, wherein similar elements are identified by the addition of prime notation to reference characters heretofore used with reference to the apparatus 10. The principal distinction between the first form of apparatus 10 and the second form of apparatus 20 lies in the enclosure, within the housing 11' of the apparatus 20, of a pair of endless flexible foraminous belt members 21A and 21'B. With the provision of two belt members 21'A and 21'B within a common housing 11, it is contemplated by the present invention that potential shrinkage of the material F passing therethrough may be accommodated by driving the pair of belt members in a predetermined ratio of linear speeds. That is, the material F is not only overfed onto the surface of the first belt 21'A but is overfed by that belt onto the surface of the next following belt 21'B. On movement with the second belt 21B, the material F is subjected to fluid treatment in the manner discussed above. In the specific embodiment illustrated, the treatment fluid applied in the second zone is the same as that applied in the first zone through which the material is passed. By varying the overfeeding speeds, any possible degree of shrinkage occurring during the fluid treatment process may be fully accommodated.

In employing the first and second forms of the apparatus of the present invention, it is anticipated that material being advanced from an apparatus of the first form, namely the apparatus 10, may then be supplied to an apparatus of the second form, namely an apparatus 20. Thus, a sequence of different fluid treatment processes may be successively applied to the same running length of material. As a result, it is contemplated by the present invention that the full sequence of fluid treatment processes involved in a finishing operation for textile fabrics may be accommodated by passage of a running length of fabric through a succession or range of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings and specification, there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a running length of textile web material in a substantially tension-free condition comprising the steps of overfeeding the textile web material in a substantially tensionless condition onto a horizontally moving, foraminous supporting surface,

advancing the overfed textile web material through a liquid treatment zone while maintaining the same in its substantially tensionless condition and while spraying treatment liquid against both the upper and lower faces of the web material, the spraying against the lower face being with sufficient force to at least substantially balance the forces applied to the web material by the spraying of treatment liquid and to move localized areas of the web material out of engagement with the supporting surface so that any given portion of the web material only intermittently engages the supporting surface, the web material being subjected to liquid treatment without imposition of any applicable tension forces thereon and while in a substantially tension-free state, and then removing the treated textile web material from the moving supporting surface. 2. A method of treating a running length of textile fabric in a substantially tension-free condition comprising the steps of feeding the fabric at a first linear rate and in a substantially tensionless condition onto a foraminous supporting surface moving horizontally at a second linear rate independently determined to be less than said first linear rate so that the fabric is overfed onto the moving supporting surface, advancing the supported, overfed fabric through a liquid treatment zone while spraying treatment liquid against both the upper and lower faces of the fabric and while causing the fabric to follow an undulating path of travel through the treatment zone with any given portion of the fabric only intermittently engaging the supporting surface so that the fabric is subjected to liquid treatment without imposition of any appreciable tension force thereon and while in a substantially tension-free state,

collecting any excess liquid sprayed against the fabric and continuously recirculating such excess treatment liquid for spraying thereof onto the fabric, and

removing the treated fabric from the moving supporting surface.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the fabric is overfed onto the moving supporting surface at a linear rate of speed more than suflicient to compensate for any shrinkage of the fabric occurring during the liquid treatment.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the fabric is overfed onto a first horizontally moving foraminous supporting surface and is sprayed with treatment liquid while being supported thereon, and including overfeeding the treated fabric from the first horizontally moving supporting surface onto a second horizontally moving foraminous supporting surface, advancing the supported, overfed fabric through a second liquid treatment zone while spraying treatment liquid against both the upper and lower faces of the fabric and While causing the fabric to follow an undulating path of travel through the second treatment zone with any given portion of the fabric only intermittently engaging the second supporting surface, and then removing the treated fabric from the second supporting surface.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the liquid sprayed onto the fabric in the second liquid treatment zones is of the same type as the liquid sprayed onto the fabric in the first liquid treatment zone.

6. Apparatus for treating a running length of textile web material in a substantially tension-free condition comprising web material transporting means including a driven,

horizontally movable, foraminous supporting surface extending through a fluid treatment zone,

web material handling means for advancing web material to said transporting means and for overfeeding the web material in a substantially tensionless condition onto said supporting surface for transport through the treatment zone,

common drive means operatively connected to both said web material transporting means and said web material handling means for driving the same at coordinated speeds and thereby governing the linear rate of overfeed of web material onto said supporting surface, said drive means including at least one variable transmission device for independent variation of the linear rate of speed of one of said web material transporting means and said web material handling means for varying the ratio of linear rates of speed of said supporting surface and the web material, and

web material treating means for impinging treatment liquid against both the upper and lower faces of the overfed web material passing through said zone, so that the web material is subjected to treatment Without imposition of any appreciable tensional force thereon and while in a substantially tension-free state.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said feed material supporting means comprises first and second endless flexible members as supported for movement along a representative predetermined closed path of travel and defining a representative portion of said driven, horizontally movable, foraminous supporting surface, said first and second members respectively extending through first and second fluid treatment zones and said first member advancing web material to said second member and overfeeding advanced material thereonto, and further wherein said common drive means includes two variable transmission devices for independent variation of the linear rates of speed of said first and second members for varying the linear rates at which web material is advanced thereby.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising housing means for enclosing said fluid treatment zone and for collecting any excess treatment liquid following application thereof to web material and recirculating means operatively communicating with said housing means and said web material treating means for reimpinging collected treatment liquid against the Web material.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said web material treating means includes first and second banks of liquid spray nozzles respectively mounted above said supporting surface for directing flowing streams of treatment liquid downwardly onto the upper face of web material passing through said fluid treatment zone and mounted below said supporting surface for directing flowing streams of treatment liquid upwardly therethrough onto the lower face of Web material passing through said fluid treatment zone.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said web material treating means further includes header pipe means operatively connecting said banks of spray nozzles for supplying treatment liquid thereto and pump means operatively connected to said header pipe means for delivering thereto and to said banks of nozzles a flow of treatment liquid under pressure.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each nozzle of said banks of nozzles directs a corresponding stream of treatment liquid in a shaped spray and further wherein said nozzles are mounted in groups for individual aiming of the shaped sprays of each nozzle relative to the sprays of other nozzles Within a common group and for collective aiming of the shaped sprays of each group of nozzles relative to the sprays of the other groups of nozzles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,803,968 5/1931 Heberlein 68205X 1,916,946 7/1933 Fruh 8151 3,177,505 4/1965 Brown et al. 8151 FOREIGN PATENTS 366,145 7/1906 France 68205 856,848 4/ 1940 France 68205 934,333 1/1948 France 8l51 313,378 6/ 1929 Great Britain 68205 632,975 12/ 1949 Great Britain 815l 81,295 2/1953 Norway 8151 152,221 4/ 1932 Switzerland 68177 DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

